Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants
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- Create Date：2021-03-28 12:11:18
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Fez Inkwright
- ISBN：1912634228
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Summary
Discover the folklore and history of our most toxic plants through this beautifully produced， gorgeously illustrated compendium。
“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison，’ it is almost certain to disagree with you， sooner or later。” – Lewis Carroll， Alice in Wonderland In both history and fiction， some of the most dramatic， notorious deaths have been through poisonings。 Concealed and deliberate， it’s a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected。 And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage！ In Botanical Curses and Poisons， Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating， untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants， witching herbs， and funghi。 Going from A to Z， she covers everything from apple （think of the poisoned fruit in “Snow White”） and the hallucinogenic angel’s trumpet to laurel， which emits toxic fumes， to oleander （a deadly ornamental shrub）， with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself。 This enthralling treasury is packed with insight， lore， and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora—including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome， its use in religion and magic， and common antidotes—making this perfect for gardeners， writers， folklorists， witches， and scientists alike！
“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison，’ it is almost certain to disagree with you， sooner or later。” – Lewis Carroll， Alice in Wonderland In both history and fiction， some of the most dramatic， notorious deaths have been through poisonings。 Concealed and deliberate， it’s a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected。 And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage！ In Botanical Curses and Poisons， Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating， untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants， witching herbs， and funghi。 Going from A to Z， she covers everything from apple （think of the poisoned fruit in “Snow White”） and the hallucinogenic angel’s trumpet to laurel， which emits toxic fumes， to oleander （a deadly ornamental shrub）， with each plant beautifully illustrated by the author herself。 This enthralling treasury is packed with insight， lore， and the revealed mysteries of everyday flora—including the prevalence of poisoning in ancient Rome， its use in religion and magic， and common antidotes—making this perfect for gardeners， writers， folklorists， witches， and scientists alike！
Reviews
Rachael
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Thank you so much to @turnaround_books and @liminal11 for sending me a copy of this stunning book in exchange for an honest review。I think I have found a new favourite Non-Fiction recommendation folks！ I don't read a lot of Non-Fiction， and there is always an unknown around how accessible the writing is going to be。。。 and there are no such worries here。 This is a glorious book; beautifully and lovingly written， completely engaging and utterly compelling。 This book is truly a stunning work of art Thank you so much to @turnaround_books and @liminal11 for sending me a copy of this stunning book in exchange for an honest review。I think I have found a new favourite Non-Fiction recommendation folks！ I don't read a lot of Non-Fiction， and there is always an unknown around how accessible the writing is going to be。。。 and there are no such worries here。 This is a glorious book; beautifully and lovingly written， completely engaging and utterly compelling。 This book is truly a stunning work of art as much as it is a writing on the A-Z of plants and their sometimes dark and nefarious history。 The text flows around and between beautiful illustrations， and includes poems， quotes and various wisdoms about each plant as well as the history and folklore associated with it。The writing is wonderful too。 The sub-title sums this one up perfectly; 'The Shadow-Lives of Plants'。 Particularly as an avid reader of Historical Fiction there is so much here that I found so compelling; opium use in Victorian England， which has been mentioned in several of my recent Historical Fiction choices， herbalism and the persecution of witches。。。 Definitely one for anybody interested in folklore and myth， as well as plant lovers。 This was truly fascinating。Can we also just take a moment to wonder at the beauty that is this cover 🥰 it is absolutely stunning！ And the pages within are packed full of beautiful line drawings too。 This is truly a gorgeous book inside and out。4 glorious stars。 。。。more
Julie
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This is a beautiful book in many senses。 Physically it is a good looking hardback book， its contents are arranged alphabetically within， and there are line drawings throughout the text。 Subtitled “The Shadow-Lives of Plants”， this book tells of the plants who through legend， folklore or common tales have killed or injured people or animals， that have played a negative role in stories from various cultures and traditions。 It covers the exotic plants that are rarely found， right through to plants This is a beautiful book in many senses。 Physically it is a good looking hardback book， its contents are arranged alphabetically within， and there are line drawings throughout the text。 Subtitled “The Shadow-Lives of Plants”， this book tells of the plants who through legend， folklore or common tales have killed or injured people or animals， that have played a negative role in stories from various cultures and traditions。 It covers the exotic plants that are rarely found， right through to plants that are encountered every day in Britain; the Strangler Fig as well as tomatoes and potatoes。 This is not a handbook of poisonous plants - it is “written solely for informational and entertainment purposes。。。not intended as a source of medical advice”。 It takes a loose view of the term “poisonous” as not only fatal， but also meaning toxic by way of uncomfortable symptoms。 It details how many plants， if treated in certain ways， can cause hallucinations or damage to the mind。 It details how people have used various parts of plants for various uses， both innocent such as dyes， as well as the evil motives of jealousy， greed or misplaced love。 This is a well researched book which has a wealth of sources and quotes well beyond plant descriptions。 I was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this unusual book。The book opens with an Introduction which defines the way plants are not always “friends” to us， marked out in plays such as Romeo and Juliet， as well as legends dating back to the Greeks and earlier。 The next section is a “History of Poisoning” ranging from Socrates’ famous end to historical figures notorious for their poisoning activities。 The next section is titled “Of Wise Women and Witches”， which looks at the way that women who use plants and herbs have been welcomed when they are seen to cure， but condemned when things have gone wrong， or other forces have operated against women who are viewed with suspicion。 There are ointments which make those who use it believe they fly or fight battles， which have remarkable effects on those who misuse them。 The thin line between the benefits and dangers of plants is examined in the section “To Cure and to Kill”， which points how the correct dosage of certain plants have had great benefits， such as anaesthetics， but have proved fatally dangerous if not used correctly。 At the back of the book there is a useful index which allows individual plants to be found。 A detailed and no doubt inspiring Bibliography and Further Reading section is both comprehensive and extensive。The bulk of the book is taken up with an A to Z of Plants which looks through many plants。 This is not a list of facts， descriptions and symptoms connected with each plant， but a short article about the plant， where it was to be found， its rarity or otherwise， and the effects of being exposed to it in any way。 The bulk of each piece will be about the history of the plant， the people who used or feared it， the facts about whether it has led to deaths or poisonings。 It uses a multitude of sources， such folklore， greek legends， and a diverse range of literary references。These are carefully shown in footnotes and listed in the bibliography， and make this an inspiring book。 The line drawings that accompanies the text suggest the plants， but are not definitive。 They undoubtedly add to the appeal of the book， and make it an attractive prospect。Overall this is an extremely well presented book which can be both dipped into as well as read。 I imagine it would be a useful book for informing other writing， as well as the starting point for more research with its extensive reading list and bibliography。 。。。more
Susan Corcoran
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Many of us know that some of the plants we grow in our gardens are poisonous， the Foxglove for example。 But I for one didn’t know that these majestic plants had a folklore connected to them， connected to humanities long standing history of cursing those we dislike and poisoning those we hate。Reading this beautifully written and illustrated book， I learnt that in Wales ink made from the leaves of Fox Gloves had been painted on the floors of cottages to keep witches away， opening my eyes to the hi Many of us know that some of the plants we grow in our gardens are poisonous， the Foxglove for example。 But I for one didn’t know that these majestic plants had a folklore connected to them， connected to humanities long standing history of cursing those we dislike and poisoning those we hate。Reading this beautifully written and illustrated book， I learnt that in Wales ink made from the leaves of Fox Gloves had been painted on the floors of cottages to keep witches away， opening my eyes to the history of botany and the rich folklore of so many plants around the world。 Within it’s pages is contained a fascinating history of plants and poisoning from the Roman use of them as a tool of political assassination， through and beyond Henry VIII’s paranoia of falling victim himself。 The most fascinating sections for me were where the writer explores the historical connection to women， healing and alleged witchcraft， their persecution and the hysteria around events like the Salem Witch trails。 She opened up and expanded on a fascinating subject I thought I knew so much about and yet she filled gaps in my knowledge， I was not aware， where there。Add to the breath-taking level of information we are treated to， there are beautiful illustrations that not only compliment the writing， but bring it to life。 Ink illustrations can be found all through the book， which I felt were extremely beautiful and it has a a cover that not only looks extraordinary， but is a work of art in itself。 But this is not all， scattered throughout the text are excerpts of poetry， for exampleLilies for a bridal bed-Roses for a matron’s head-Violets for a maiden dead。Percy Shelley， Remembrance When you combine all of these together， you have a book that is not only fascinating， but is a work of art as well。 Between the authors deep knowledge of both botany and its rich history in human society and politics and the inclusion of illustrations and poetry and you a book that an absoulute treasure and one I will proudly display on my shelf in years to come。 。。。more
The Literary Shed
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My grandmother， a wise woman and some would say witch， used to say， treat the plants with the most beautiful flowers with respect and care， as they hide the best and worst of secrets。 Of course， as a child， I ignored her – to my detriment， in fact， when I stupidly consumed a beautiful Datura （I was four at the time）， with almost deadly consequences。 Still， you live and learn。 Well， in my case。 Others， alas， not。 And Datura， along with a host of other deadly lovelies， features in Fez Inkwright’s My grandmother， a wise woman and some would say witch， used to say， treat the plants with the most beautiful flowers with respect and care， as they hide the best and worst of secrets。 Of course， as a child， I ignored her – to my detriment， in fact， when I stupidly consumed a beautiful Datura （I was four at the time）， with almost deadly consequences。 Still， you live and learn。 Well， in my case。 Others， alas， not。 And Datura， along with a host of other deadly lovelies， features in Fez Inkwright’s wonderful， wonderful book， Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants。This is the kind of book I absolutely love。 It’s beautiful for one thing， and all credit to the publisher， Liminal 11， Inkwright for her striking cover and the designer， Mike Medaglia， for producing what is a joy of an edition to behold and handle， from the cover and endpapers to the lovely black-and-white illustrations inside。 Of course， a good-looking book is not enough: the text has to hold up – and it does。Inkwright’s informed but very entertaining writing style keeps us enthralled as we learn about all manner of plants and herbs， some common garden varieties， the toxicity of which most of us probably were horrifically ignorant about， given the damage they can do。 Others， more familiar， through fairy tales， legends， history and， well， Netflix。This is a book full of titbits， stories， lovely verse and fascinating facts， presented in a beautiful package。 It’s the kind of book one dips into， finding ever more intriguing morsels， which， of course， have to be further investigated and researched。This will definitely become an Old Familiar for me， one of those essential books I revisit again and again， growing more fond of it each time， until it becomes a beloved friend。 That’s the best compliment I can give it。Hugely， hugely recommended。See: https://www。theliteraryshed。co。uk/rea。。。This book was published as part of the publisher's book tour。 Thank you for sending us a copy of the book。 All opinions are our own。 All rights reserved。 。。。more
Karen Huxtable
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This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful books that I have been privileged to review as a blogger。 One of my earliest memories is walking with my Dad and him pointing out plants that I should not touch， I remember him buying me a little Osbourne Book of Wild Flowers book so that I could recognise any dangerous ones like Deadly Nightshade。 This interest has been furthered by my reading of Agatha Christie’s books and her use of poisons within them。This book takes plants and curses to anot This is without a doubt one of the most beautiful books that I have been privileged to review as a blogger。 One of my earliest memories is walking with my Dad and him pointing out plants that I should not touch， I remember him buying me a little Osbourne Book of Wild Flowers book so that I could recognise any dangerous ones like Deadly Nightshade。 This interest has been furthered by my reading of Agatha Christie’s books and her use of poisons within them。This book takes plants and curses to another level and it is also really beautifully illustrated。 The introduction takes the reader through how plants have been used through to the history of poisoning which was very popular with the Romans。 I particularly enjoyed the chapter Of Wise Women and Witches which was a fascinating account of how plants were used by women who were subsequently dubbed as witches by the Christian Church。 The book has a comprehensive A-Z guide from the humble apple to one of my favourites the Foxglove which I had not realised was linked to Devon where I live and St Nectan。 There were many surprises too like peppers which are not poisonous but are a cousins of nightshade， and were used to ward off evil spirits。This is an extraordinary book and I loved it ！ I know that I will return to it again and again it has so much information the detail and the illustrations are wonderful。 Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things for my invitation to the tour and to Liminal 11 publishers for my gifted copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review。5 stars ***** 。。。more
Jane Hunt
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Folklore， history， mythology， medicine and witches all have a part to play in this story of Botanical Curses and Poisons。 There are lovely illustrations to illuminate the text and a fascinating A to Z of plants。This is an intriguing， well researched， vibrant book about the secrets of everyday plants。 I received a digital copy of this book from the author and publisher in return for an honest review。
Jaffareadstoo
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First off I have to start by saying that this book about botanical curses and poisons is really quite stunning。 It has a tactile cover which makes you want to stroke it before you open to reveal end papers which are filled with dramatic images of skulls， bones， berries and pretty cup shaped flowers， all of which I am sure have deadly portents。The book is beautifully illustrated by simple mono line drawings which stir the imagination and which give， along with the text， a comprehensive guide to t First off I have to start by saying that this book about botanical curses and poisons is really quite stunning。 It has a tactile cover which makes you want to stroke it before you open to reveal end papers which are filled with dramatic images of skulls， bones， berries and pretty cup shaped flowers， all of which I am sure have deadly portents。The book is beautifully illustrated by simple mono line drawings which stir the imagination and which give， along with the text， a comprehensive guide to the A-Z of Plants which could potentially do great harm。 There is a disclaimer at the start of the book to not try any of these as the book is for information and entertainment only and not a medicinal guide to try plant based medicine at home。Botanical Curses and Poisons is a book to savour and even dipping into and out of it at whim reveals something quite special which the author describes in a such a magical way that even the most deadly of poisons seems strangely beautiful。 It's filled with the awesome charisma which drew our ancestors to search the undergrowth for both cures and poisons and the book reminds us that good and harm often walk side by side。 The author demonstrates that not all poisons are deadly， we only have to look at the dramatic use of Foxglove: Digitalis purpurea which contains the poison digitoxin which slows the heart。 We still use Digitalis in certain heart conditions today， in fact it was one of the first drugs I had to learn the use of in my student nurse days。The book is a fascinating cornucopia， filled with a wealth of knowledge both botanical and historical so that reading it becomes more of a journey through the history of both herblore and folklore。 Alongside the intricate descriptions of plants and their uses， I have loved reading the references to poets and writers which help to bring the book alive in such a glorious way。When we are not in lockdown I enjoy walking in woodland and countryside and have a healthy respect for plants and their uses having grown up in a family who made potent brews from nettles， rhubarb and elderberries， and who always had comfrey leaves steeping in a stone pot by the door to use as a compress over bumps and bruises， although here in the North West comfrey was more commonly called the more archaic nip or knit bone。 Botanical Curses and Poisons:The Shadow Life of Plants has been a fascinating book to read。 I've enjoyed the wealth and knowledge which the author has included and which gives the impression that producing this has been a real labour of love for her。 It has certainly paid off in a book which will sit proudly on my bookshelf and act as an aide memoir should I ever need a curse， or a poison， or simply a lovely， informative read about the shadow lives of those plants I have seen and never knew what power they have， in the right hands， to do both harm。。。and good。 。。。more
Paul
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At a fundamental level， we are all sustained by plants， either from the oxygen they supply or from the food they can provide or by using them to build shelters。 But we would be foolish to think of them as passive lifeforms that can accept being munched by any passing animal。 They have developed sophisticated defences to stop them from disappearing down the gullet of a herbivore。 These defences can vary from the spiked leaves， sour-tasting stems all the way to the utterly lethal parts of some pla At a fundamental level， we are all sustained by plants， either from the oxygen they supply or from the food they can provide or by using them to build shelters。 But we would be foolish to think of them as passive lifeforms that can accept being munched by any passing animal。 They have developed sophisticated defences to stop them from disappearing down the gullet of a herbivore。 These defences can vary from the spiked leaves， sour-tasting stems all the way to the utterly lethal parts of some plants that can kill an animal in a short space of time。People have learnt the very hard way over time immemorial which plants are safe and which are deadly。 People have used this plant knowledge too for all sorts of nefarious dealings too， planning a murder using the poisons from a plant requires careful and deliberate preparation。 Yet some of these plants have a very grey line between medicine and toxin and knowing what plant is capable of what normally needs an expert。Some of these I know from childhood， I remember being told very sternly that I must never ever touch the glistening berries of the Deadly Nightshade that I used to see growing down the lane near my house。 I grew to learn which plants could hurt when you fell off your bike into them and even contemplating touching a mushroom was forbidden。 Thankfully in this beautiful book by Fez Inkwright， the knowledge of which plants to avoid has been brought bang up to date。It is an A to Z list and begins with the most unlikely of fruits， the apple。 It is here for good reason though， the pips in every apple contain cyanide。 There is not enough in any apple that you are eating to be deadly， however， it has been found that it could leech out when apples are crushed to make cider。 The apple has been used in literature to represent a deadly fruit as well as having associations with the dead and various enchantments。 It is not the only fruit I here， there are sections about sloes and the blackthorn， peppers and walnuts。 There are plants that I expected to find within， such as hellebore， wolfsbane and hemlock。Unexpected additions to this list were plants such as broad beans， hydrangea， willow and even basil。 There are some truly deadly additions to this list including one that is highly restricted under the terrorism act in the UK。 As well as the plants that will make your life much shorter and painful， Inkwright has included plants that have been used in folklore to curse others， such as elder， hellebore and willow。As grim as its subject material is， Inkwright has written a fascinating book on this subject。 I have read other weighty tomes on plant folklore， and whilst it isn’t as comprehensive as some others， it is well written and full of fascinating details and anecdotes。 A lot of that knowledge in here has been lost as the current generation has retreated to stare at the screens that dominate our lives now days。 Definitely worth reading for those that have a passing interest in the subject and has more depth （and a decent bibliography） for those that were to explore this subject more。 There is also a poison garden that is up in Northumbria （here） for those that want to really get to know their subject。 。。。more
Karen Mace
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We first need to discuss how stunning this book looks！！ It will stand proudly on any bookshelf on looks alone！！ But thankfully the insides are just as stunning and fascinating as the author explores the history of poisonous plants。 As a keen gardener myself， I'm always intrigued to learn more about the plants I have in my garden - and reading this book it appears that many of the plants I love in my garden appear in this book！ I loved how this book explores the superstitions behind the plants al We first need to discuss how stunning this book looks！！ It will stand proudly on any bookshelf on looks alone！！ But thankfully the insides are just as stunning and fascinating as the author explores the history of poisonous plants。 As a keen gardener myself， I'm always intrigued to learn more about the plants I have in my garden - and reading this book it appears that many of the plants I love in my garden appear in this book！ I loved how this book explores the superstitions behind the plants along with the use in witchcraft， and how these plants were used in history to kill or poison victims。。 Society used to look down on 'herbalist' women who would use plants to offer help to those in the community with medical issues - there's a thin line between kill and cure it seems in some eyes！This book also features an A-Z of plants that have been viewed and used in these ways - the meanings， the myths and the uses and it was fascinating！ As I've said before， with so many of these plants already in my garden， I am definitely looking at them through different eyes now -and wanting to add to my 'poison plant' collection！！！ 。。。more
Kate: The Quick and the Read
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I should begin by stating my credentials in the worlds of botany， healing and…er…poisoning。 Zero。 I have no experience at all， can kill any houseplant and would struggle to identify any greenery at any time。 This is not my specialist area， but regular readers of the blog will know I’m a huge crime fiction fan and kind of fascinated with Queen Agatha’s poisoning expertise！So I’m coming to this book as a complete beginner， albeit one with a bit of a morbid curiosity。Firstly， I should say that this I should begin by stating my credentials in the worlds of botany， healing and…er…poisoning。 Zero。 I have no experience at all， can kill any houseplant and would struggle to identify any greenery at any time。 This is not my specialist area， but regular readers of the blog will know I’m a huge crime fiction fan and kind of fascinated with Queen Agatha’s poisoning expertise！So I’m coming to this book as a complete beginner， albeit one with a bit of a morbid curiosity。Firstly， I should say that this is a gorgeous book。 It’s a beautiful hardback with foil detailing on the cover， beautiful endpapers and a ribbon bookmark。 It is also packed with fabulous black and white illustrations so that even the most beginnery beginner in the world of plants （i。e。 me） can see what is being talked about。 So far， so gorgeous…The text itself is arranged （around the lovely illustrations） so that it introduces the history of poisoning， witches and the fine line between curing and killing， before turning into an A to Z of Plants。 Lots of the sections are introduced with snippets of poems， literature and ancient wisdom on the plants， something I loved as it rooted the material more in ‘my world’ of books and writers。I found this book absolutely fascinating from the first word。 In particular， it was really intriguing to think about the world of botanical poisons as within the female domain – I really liked the way that Inkwright drew out the connections between herbalism and witchcraft， although the tragedy of this is also indicated in the descriptions of the historical persecution of witches。 The explanation of witches’ ability to fly in the ‘Witching Herbs’ section is also intriguing and called up images of Terry Pratchett’s famous witch， Granny Weatherwax， lying with her sign ‘I ate’nt dead’ while her mind is elsewhere。The book is absolutely packed with information about each of the plants; it covers not only the usages and known facts， but also lots of information about the history and symbolism of each。For example， the section on ‘Apple’ explores all the cultural associations， from Eve and the the Garden of Eden to Ancient Greek mythology， folklore around blood-marked apples， the Gaelic festival of the dead and enchanted apples being possessed by demons。 And that is just one entry！I was absolutely captivated and found myself taking notes during sections that would help with my day job （English teacher – some of those literary allusions and symbols suddenly clicked into place for me！）It’s all so interesting that it’s hard to pick highlights。 I found myself sharing information with my son on Mandrakes （he’s a huge Harry Potter fan！） and I was particularly fascinated by the Poppy entry – as someone who loves historical fiction set in the Victorian era， the information about opium and morphine was definitely of interest。 Poor Alice Blunden though， buried alive twice after imbibing too much poppy tea！Another entry that I found particularly engrossing was about Violets – I knew of their associations with death （something I always kind of ignored as I personally love this flower！） but I didn’t really know why。 Well， I do now – and I had my mind blown by the connections with the purple used as half-mourning colours in the Victorian period （again， my personal obsession surfaces！） So many connections that I didn’t fully understand or just hadn’t made…I honestly could go on and on picking out interesting sections and stories， but I instead suggest that you buy this fabulous book for yourself。 It would also make a brilliant gift for any gardener， or anyone interested in folklore， herbalism or just how plants have taken on symbolic status in literature and culture。This is one book that you will not regret buying and I can guarantee that you – like me – will return to its pages again and again。 。。。more
Emma
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What drew me to this beautiful book was not just the gorgeous cover design。 But the discovery of the fascinating folklore and lurid histories of our most toxic plants， witching herbs and fungi。 Complete with black and white illustrations by the author this book was a dream to indulge in。 I loved spending a couple of hours a day curled up with a cuppa as I dived into the mysteries and unknown of the world of flora。 I adored reading Inkwright’s personal and insightful narrative。 I felt very much a What drew me to this beautiful book was not just the gorgeous cover design。 But the discovery of the fascinating folklore and lurid histories of our most toxic plants， witching herbs and fungi。 Complete with black and white illustrations by the author this book was a dream to indulge in。 I loved spending a couple of hours a day curled up with a cuppa as I dived into the mysteries and unknown of the world of flora。 I adored reading Inkwright’s personal and insightful narrative。 I felt very much a student， sitting in a lecture hall listening to the history and folklore behind deadly plants。 I eagerly listened to the history of poisoning and how female followers of Dionysus （known as maenads） would intoxicate themselves by chewing on ivy leaves。 This would cause madness and anger which led them into drunken rampages across the countryside attacking animals and humans。 I will definitely not be chewing ivy leaves anytime soon then。 I also learned about the history of wise women and witches that created a hysteria and saw an estimated 63，850 witches burned， drowned and hanged。 All for having a knowledge of healing techniques with plants。 It’s madness and still shocking to read today that this happened but unfortunately is a part of history。 Amongst reading about the history of poisoning and witching herbs， the main chunk of this book is taken up by the A-Z of Plants。 This section taught me a lot of interesting facts and tales that I had no idea about。 There was a lot of new information to take in， but once again Inkwright’s style creates a relaxing atmosphere and you feel not only intrigued and pulled in but calmed。 I discovered how Daffodil bulbs contain a chemical called lycorine which if ingested causes paralysis of the central nervous system， leading to collapse and eventual death。 So don’t eat them， kids。 I also loved reading the folklore such as how the Norwegian legend tells of how a fairy taught foxes how to ring the bells of the Foxglove to warn each other of nearby hunters。 And did you know that the juice of the Mistletoe berry is clammy and viscous and was a core ingredient in creating birdlime？ This was used to capture small birds as branches coated in it were sticky enough to entrap their feet， some were even strong enough to capture hawks！ It’s fascinating stuff， I greedily devoured it all and wanted more。 There is so much to learn from this book， I didn’t want it to end。 The more I read， the more I needed to know。 I was completely sucked in to the world of botanical curses and poisons， all the while being surrounded by an intoxicating scent that kept me captivated page after page。 It was bliss。My favourite new discovery has got to be how the gummy sap of the bulbs of Bluebells can be purposed as a glue。 It was once used for bookbinding as the insecticide nature of the sap would deter insects from damaging the pages。 I mean， how awesome is that？ This book has opened my mind to plants and their hidden deadly ways。 The history behind their reputations and stories of old that span generations。 To put it basically dear reader， my mind was blown。 The black and white illustrations that accompany throughout this book are breathtaking。 They complete the facts and folklore of the plants。 They add a certain flair that compliments Inkwright’s words and wisdom。 They were a joy to look at and works of art within themselves。 I give Botanical Curses and Poisons The Shadow Lives of Plants By Fez Inkwright a Five out of Five paw rating。 I couldn’t get enough and LOVED every second。 I learned so much about the history and folklore behind some of the most common plants that sit innocently in our gardens。 I highly recommend this book to everyone。 I guarantee you will come away having learned something new about an everyday plant that you deemed harmless。 It is not only insightful and interesting to read but you also take away a lot from it。 Humans and plants have always been intertwined。 We share the planet。 They have strengthened us， clothed us， built shelters for us and even helped see off diseases （not to mention the odd poisoning or two along the way）。 We should respect them and be aware of the hidden poisons that lay beneath those beautiful petals。 。。。more
Melanie’s reads
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It is well known how plants have been used through time for healing and their medicinal properties， but as with all nature where there is good bad will surely follow。As a kid I soon learnt that nettles with white petals underneath wouldn’t sting， unlike the ones without， and that if I was stung a dock leaf could be found nearby to relieve the pain。 Even the names of some plants piqued my morbid curiosity， the fungi dead man’s fingers is a prime example。This book is filled with meticulous detail It is well known how plants have been used through time for healing and their medicinal properties， but as with all nature where there is good bad will surely follow。As a kid I soon learnt that nettles with white petals underneath wouldn’t sting， unlike the ones without， and that if I was stung a dock leaf could be found nearby to relieve the pain。 Even the names of some plants piqued my morbid curiosity， the fungi dead man’s fingers is a prime example。This book is filled with meticulous detail on plants， the history behind poisoning and how a plant used to heal can be lethal if the incorrect dose is given。I already knew I had a few poisonous/toxic plants in my garden but I was amazed to discover the violet， which I always thought was such a happy little flower was so associated with death and the underworld。From wise women to witches， it’s all there between the covers， alongside quotes and beautiful illustrations。 This is a book to treasure and pass on so the legacy of nature can continue。 。。。more
Hayley
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Today is my spot on the blog tour for 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒; ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ-ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴘʟᴀɴᴛꜱ by Fez Inkwright。 Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Liminal 11 for sending me a copy of this beautiful book。-𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬， 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬， 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧。 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞， 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐠 𝐨𝐫 Today is my spot on the blog tour for 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒; ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡ-ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴘʟᴀɴᴛꜱ by Fez Inkwright。 Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours and Liminal 11 for sending me a copy of this beautiful book。-𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬， 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬， 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧。 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞， 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 。。。 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐧， 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝。-This book is a perfect mix of botany， folklore， and all things witchy。 It is a very interesting read， especially for non-fiction， and is beautifully illustrated throughout。-𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 [𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬]， 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞。 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧， 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬， 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐄𝐱𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞。 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 。。。 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲。 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚， 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐢𝐚: 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫。-The facts about the different plants， and the folklore and mythology that are included make it feel like such a rich tapestry of storytelling。There are also historical and religious elements broader than folklore that are quite eye-opening， and that serve as interesting reminders about truth within reported history。-𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞， 𝐭𝐨𝐨， 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞， 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝， 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝; 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞， 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬， 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬， 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬， 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬， 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬， 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬， 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟。-The A-Z layout of the plants makes for a really manageable structure， and gives the reader regular natural breaks to allow for them to reflect and absorb what they have read。 But the facts and stories themselves are so interesting that you can easily read a large portion in one sitting。-𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥， 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬， 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬。-After reading this I intend to buy Fez Inkwright's previous book - 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘈𝘯 𝘜𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 - and will look forward to any future books she writes。 。。。more
Nancy Dawkins
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